The subject invention is directed to a plastic closure cover especially suited for closing an opening in a panel, such as a wall or floor panel of a motor vehicle. More particular, the invention concerns a closure cover of the type comprising a cover plate having depending holding elements which extend through the opening and grip behind the peripheral edge of the opening.
Closure covers of the general type under consideration are known in the art. One known type shown in British patent No. 734,857 has four springy, elastic holding elements which are mounted across from one another to grip behind the peripheral edge of an opening to be closed. The holding power of the holding elements in this prior type is relatively limited and their design is such that they are set for only one specific panel thickness. If the panel thickness is changed, either intentionally or as a result of tolerance variations, the same closure cover cannot be used. Consequently, the manufacturer must stock a large number of different versions of closure covers in order to satisfy all demands arising in the motor vehicle industry.
Also known in the prior art is a closure cover for drain holes in the floor panels of motor vehicles. A closure cover for this purpose is shown in German printed specification No. 1,840,793 and consists of a plate with an outer, U-shaped annular tee-slot and arms adapted to be self-supporting and located approximately parallel to each other. An outer arm has at about half height a round circumferential gripping lug as well as a circular flange at its upper end. By the interaction of the circular flange and the gripping lug there results a gripping-behind of this annular holding element into the panel opening in the motor vehicle. Again this holding element is only suited to hold the closure cover securely to a wall or floor of a given panel thickness. As soon as tolerance variations occur, or if different thicknesses must be accounted for over a larger area, this known closure cover can no longer be used.